Mesothelioma is one of the rarest, deadliest, and most aggressive kinds of lung cancer known to medical science. Researchers have conclusively linked this disease to asbestos exposure. Because of its flame-retardant qualities and low cost, countless forms used asbestos in construction and shipbuilding projects for the better part of a generation. Only now, many years later, have the crippling effects of mesothelioma become apparent.

At the law firm of Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC, our experienced mesothelioma attorneys know the devastation a lung cancer diagnosis brings to you and your family. Treatment for mesothelioma is often extensive with a relatively grim prognosis, so your household will almost certainly face serious financial and emotional struggles. If you developed mesothelioma because of the negligence of your employer or another party, you have legal rights to compensation for suffering that this disease has caused, and you should discuss your situation with a New York mesothelioma attorney today, because you have a limited amount of time to act.

WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?

Some people dubbed asbestos the “miracle mineral” when large-scale mining began in the late 1800s. That excitement dropped off considerably around 1900, when the number of lung cancer deaths in asbestos mining towns spiked.

They soon discovered that this cancer was mesothelioma, a devastating illness that essentially collapses the heart and lungs from the outside. Nevertheless, asbestos was still widely used in insulation and other types of building materials throughout much of the 1900s. Anyone who regularly worked around these materials, lived in buildings with asbestos, or even lived with a person who came home with microscopic asbestos fibers on their clothes may have been sufficiently exposed to develop mesothelioma.

Furthermore, people who worked on certain renovation projects or at certain locations, like the World Trade Center on 9/11, may have been inadvertently exposed to deadly asbestos fibers.

Once the fibers are inhaled, or once they absorb through the skin, they become lodged in the body because they are too small to expel, so they remain there for many years. Over time, these fibers often cause cancerous tumors that develop in the mesothelium, the membrane surrounding the lungs, the cardiac cavity, or the abdominal cavity.

Typically, these tumors develop inside victims years before they reach out to mesothelioma attorneys, as this disease has a long latency period. In addition, lung cancer symptoms often mimic the symptoms of other medical conditions, which delays diagnosis. As a result, many victims are not properly diagnosed until the cancer has already progressed to an advanced stage, making the prognosis worse.

MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT IS OFTEN EXTENSIVE

As with any cancer, treatment for mesothelioma can be painful and costly and can include the following:

Chemotherapy;

Radiation;

Surgery for removal of the tumor or of the entire lung;

Palliative care;

A combination of any of the above.

There are some emerging treatments as well, such as gene therapy and PDT (photodynamic therapy), which a mesothelioma attorney can help facilitate. While these treatments are even more costly than traditional therapy, they have substantially improved the prognosis for many victims.

Overall prognosis usually depends on the location of the tumors, the type of mesothelioma, the stage of progression, whether it has metastasized, and the overall health and age of the victim. Due to the advanced stage and older age of many mesothelioma patients, the survival period is often no more than one or two years from diagnosis.

MESOTHELIOMA CASES INVOLVE COMPLEX LEGAL ISSUES

Mesothelioma attorneys can arrange substantial financial compensation for lung cancer victims, and those suffering from asbestosis or related injuries, if another party caused their asbestos exposure. If an employer or property owner negligently exposed you to dangerous asbestos fibers, that party should be held responsible for your losses, including medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. In order to prevail, mesothelioma attorneys must prove that:

The party failed to use ordinary care and negligently caused asbestos exposure;

The exposure caused the mesothelioma;

You suffered injuries as a result of the mesothelioma.

A mesothelioma attorney must establish each element of a negligence case by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). To prove their cases in court, attorneys must collect substantial medical records, eyewitness statements, and other evidence. Then, mesothelioma attorneys must present this evidence in a clear and convincing fashion, to maximize compensation.

Even if the negligent company is no longer in business, compensation is still available through one of the asbestos trust funds.

Both victims of the disease and surviving family members of deceased mesothelioma victims have valid legal claims. Because of the detailed scientific and medical information involved in this type of case, it is critical to have a mesothelioma attorney who has extensive experience handling these claims. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please call the New York mesothelioma attorneys at Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC at 212-397-1000 as soon as possible.

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